The Person I've Become
by encre d'esprit
Summary: Spencer Reid has a secret. He has been visiting a childhood friend in Vegas ever since he left and has been keeping it a secret from the team. What happens when his best friend's daughter gets kidnapped by the very unsub the team is hunting?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Ok, as a side note, this is my twist on what happened with Reid in his childhood days. The incident was mentioned in the episode **_**Elephant's Memory, **_**where Reid admits to Morgan that he was stripped naked by bullies and tied to a goal post. I would like to give a big THANKS to TheSundayBlues who, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have half the stories I do! Welcome to another smashing collaboration of our ideas… Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fourteen and a half years earlier…**_

_Katelyn O'Neil walked briskly down the sidewalk to keep up with the boy who was nearly twice as large as she was. Even though they were both only thirteen, her friend Dave was deep into puberty and it showed in his 5'8 frame. He was built like a football player, making any guy who looked at him funny back down immediately after taking in the sheer size of the junior high kid._

"_Dave, slow down! You know I can't walk that fast…" Katelyn huffed as she swiped at the long chunk of raven black hair that blew into her face. The boy in front of her slowed almost immediately at her whiney demand and took a moment to look at the small girl beside him._

"_Maybe you would be able to if you grew a little…" He teased and received a slap from her soon after. It was a common joke between them, one that everyone in school laughed about whenever the two were seen together. Katelyn O'Neil was pushing 4'9, and her bony frame had yet to fill out with any womanly curve. But what she lacked in size, she definitely made up for in attitude. She was an outspoken youth who held nothing back and didn't see her small size as a road block when standing up for herself or getting what she wanted._

"_Maybe if you weren't such a jerk!" She shot back, but couldn't withhold the smile that tickled her lips. Their friendship was strictly platonic having met a year earlier. Katelyn's big mouth had gotten her into trouble with one of the known bullies in school and he wasn't about to take the fact that she was a girl into consideration. He had been so close to punching her after she had stuck a tongue out of her firmly set lips when Dave had stepped in and scared the scraggily haired boy away. Katelyn had yelled at Dave for getting in the way of her issue, but they had quickly become friends soon after._

"_Did you hear that?" Katelyn slowed her pace to a stop just outside of the Las Vegas Public High School. They passed it every day on their way to and from the Junior High two blocks away._

"_Hear what?" Dave frowned and looked down at the black haired girl. She scrunched her face and her dark eyebrows lowered over her contrasting pale green eyes as she struggled to listen._

"_I swear I heard a kid screaming…" She mumbled and searched the front of the large school._

"_Katie, have you been into your dad's Irish Whiskey again…?" Dave asked accusingly and Katelyn's gaze shifted from the school to glare at him._

"_Shut up David, he still doesn't know about that!" She hissed before turning back to the school grounds. "Plus, just because I'm Irish, doesn't mean I drink Irish Whiskey…"_

_A high pitched scream sounded again in the distance and Katelyn snapped her attention back to the boy behind her._

"_See?! I told you I heard something! Come on, someone could be hurt!" Katelyn demanded quickly before taking off in a full run and easily jumping the flimsy fence bordering the school grounds._

_Dave sighed loudly and stood watching her tear off across the grass before deciding to follow._

* * *

"_Please… Please don't! Let me go!" The scrawny kid pleaded loudly as the two guys dressed in their football jerseys held him down by his arms. The third quickly grabbed his legs as he struggled to kick at the jocks. _

_Alexa Lisbon, the prettiest girl in school, the prettiest girl in school who only minutes earlier he was told wanted to meet him behind the Field House was standing only a few feet away now, laughing at him. _

_He should have known it was only a cruel joke. He was twelve, she was sixteen. He had been in the library, studying hard and reading up on advanced calculus, she had probably been just finishing up her cheerleading practice he could now tell from the skimpy uniform she had on. _

"_Spencer Reiddddd, what a dweeb, masturbates to apple seedssssss!" The taunting group of four shouted at the top of their lungs, grabbing the attention of multiple people who were just leaving the school._

"_That doesn't even make sense!" Spencer Reid exasperated only to receive a swift kick to the ribs by one of the jocks holding him down._

_A small crowd of people began to form around the three jocks and the cheerleader as they pointed and taunted the poor child in thick glasses. After more cheers, Alexa the cheerleader pulled a length of rope from her back pack and handed it to the three older boys. They suddenly started tugging at the large cardigan, nearly ripping the arm of it off in the process. Spencer Reid's cries went unnoticed as the cheers and taunts became louder from the small crowd._

"_SPPEEENNCCCEEERRRR RREEEIIIIDDDDDD, WHATTT A DWEEEEBBBB!!"_

"_Stop it! Get off me!" Spencer Reid cried as he tried to kick and struggle against the 17 year old bullies, but they were too strong._

"_SPENCER REID, WHAT A DWEEB!" The small crowd chanted as the jocks quickly stripped Spencer Reid of his clothes until he was only in his underwear and began dragging him towards the goal post a few feet away. The crowd could see his practical nudeness, but what they couldn't see is his dignity being stripped away with it._

* * *

_Katelyn O'Neil ran fast across the field, curious of the events happening in the near distance. She could see a group of people crowded around one of the soccer goal posts and finally reached them only a little out of breath._

"_Hey, move…" She demanded and pushed her way past the people to the front of the group and saw a gorgeous blonde teenager in a red and white cheerleading outfit, along with three older boys in the same colored football jerseys. They were blocking her view, and she was unable to hear anymore screams because the crowd was chanting something, making Katelyn frown as she stood on her tip toes trying to get a better look._

_One of the jocks sidestepped just enough for Katelyn to catch a glimpse of a skinny boy about her age with ruffled brown hair and dark rimmed glasses. Her eyes widened once she noticed the poor kid was only in his underwear and at first she was slightly embarrassed at the sight, then a wave of rage washed through her once she noticed the football guys laughing at him as they tied him to the goal post._

"_HEY!" Katelyn shouted so loudly that the group behind her stopped their taunting words to look at the tiny black haired girl. "Leave him alone!!"_

_She stomped forward a few feet until she was right under the nose of the biggest jock and she stared straight up into his eyes with a stern face filled with determination. _

"_Excuse me little girl? Shouldn't you be playing with barbies or somethin'?" The good looking guy stared down at her with a large grin on his face. _

"_Leave. Him. Alone." Katelyn said through clenched teeth and tight fists at her side, unaware she was having a standoff with a guy twice her size and probably four years older than her._

_The guy laughed loudly, grabbing the attention of the other two who were now standing beside him, testing this little girl._

"_You think I'll listen to you sweetheart? Go on now, go play with your dolls and leave us alone…" He laughed again and the three guys elbowed each other, obviously getting a kick out of this little girl's determination._

"_Go pick on someone your own size." Katelyn countered with a deep frown as she peered around the big guys to catch a glimpse of the kid tied to the goal post. He was struggling to draw his knees up in front of him and even through the thick glasses, she could tell he was near tears._

_For some reason, her statement made the boys howl with laughter._

"_Our own size? Honey, I don't think that would be you…" He scoffed and received pats on the back from the other two._

"_Yeah, but I think I qualify…" A deep voice sounded from the crowd, making the jersey bearing boys frown and scan the group for the source. Suddenly a large, burly, dark haired guy stepped out and stood behind the annoying little girl defensively and looked down at all three of them._

"_Who-who are you?" The middle one managed to finally spit out with a faltering frown after taking in the size of the guy. _

"_I'm that guy's friend and if you know what's good for you, you'd better scram. Now." David snarled and gestured to the scrawny, nearly naked kid tied to the goal post. _

"_Whatever, this scene is getting old anyways… Come on guys… Trish! We're leaving." He called out over his shoulder to the blonde beauty still taunting the poor kid. As she walked towards them, Katelyn stepped forward, knocking the blonde roughly with her shoulder in the process, but didn't look back to see her reaction as she walked towards the boy at the goal post._

"_Hey…" Katelyn greeted the trembling boy and fell to her knees to work on the loose knots of the rope around his wrists. "Those guys are just jerks…"_

_Spencer Reid was at a loss for words as he struggled to focus on covering up his underwear clad body as the girl helped him. His expression remained blank as he watched her, he was speechless. No one ever helped him, not ever. He was a child prodigy in a Las Vegas Public High School, a twelve year old living in a teenage world. A dweeb…_

"_I'm Katelyn O'Neil." The tiny girl smiled brightly after releasing rope hold on his wrists and held out her hand towards him. He guessed she was around his age, but she was definitely small. She had the lightest green eyes he had ever seen and they seemed to glisten mischievously with dancing laughter. The stark contrast was her long jet black hair and the thick bangs hiding her forehead._

"_S-Spencer… Spencer R-Reid…" He sputtered out and shook her hand tentatively, then gratefully accepted his shirt that she passed to him and scrambled to put it on his shivering body. _

"_Hey man, you alright?" David jogged up to them after having dispersed the crowd of onlookers and handed him the corduroy pants that he had found a few feet away._

_Spencer couldn't find his voice so he only nodded shakily and struggled to stand with David's help to put on his pants._

"_Don't worry… I don't think those guys will be bothering you any time soon…" The bigger guy, David, if Spencer remembered correctly, said firmly._

"_Th-thanks…" Spencer Reid managed to spit out as he did up the brown belt on his pants. He still couldn't take in what had just happened, let alone the fact that someone had just saved him. Maybe there were nice people in the world…_

"_You don't have to thank us!" The girl, Katelyn, said brightly with a smile as she brushed the grass of the back of his shirt. "Come on, where do you live? We'll walk you home."_

_She looped an arm through his and the three began trekking across the soccer field, the girl beside him talking a mile a minute. Spencer Reid couldn't imagine why these two were being so nice to him, but he had to admit that it was definitely a nice change._

**A/N: Remember, this is only the prologue! Stick around to see what folds out… And please review! ******


	2. Keira

**A/N: I forgot to add the disclaimer to the first chapter. I don't own any of the Criminal Minds characters, however I do hope I do them justice!  
P.S. Thanks for the reviews so far!  
P.S.S. Sorry it took so long for me to post, but fanfic has been wonky the past couple days! I couldn't login or when I could login I couldn't upload my document… Ahhh.. Anyways…**

…

_**One year, two months and fourteen days earlier…**_

"_Ok guys, so I'll see you on Wednesday then?" _

_Spencer Reid gathered his things and shoved them into the canvas messenger bag while trying to hide the smile tempting his lips._

"_Why is it that you never take a vacation, but you always take two days off work in June?" Morgan asked curiously. It was nearing 5pm on Friday and everyone was eager to get to their weekend plans, Morgan especially seeing as he had a hot date lined up for dinner at 6._

"_I always take two days off in June and five off at Christmas… I've done it every year, Morgan, you should know that by now…" Reid smiled as he rolled his eyes at his prying colleague._

"_Yeah, but why only two days? You get a four day weekend sure, but that's just a teaser. You probably have three months vacation racked up, why don't you use it?" Morgan retorted as he shoved the young genius slightly, making him bump into his own desk._

"_I don't like taking a lot of time off of work, but twice a year I need to." Reid muttered and did up the straps on his bag before throwing it over his shoulder._

"_Ok guys, I'm out! Have a good weekend, and Spence say hi to your mom for me." JJ brushed past the two quickly, a flurry of blonde hair and smiles. She waved to them as she made her way to the elevator with thoughts of a weekend spent with Will and her baby._

"_So you're going to Vegas then? Here I thought you were going on a getaway weekend some girl from the library…" Morgan grinned widely and patted Reid on the back._

_Reid shook his head, but didn't let Morgan's teasing get to him as he straightened out and gave him a smile._

"_Like I said, I'll see you Wednesday…" He said and began to make his way out of the bullpen when Morgan called after him._

"_Say hi to your mom for me too, eh?" Morgan replied after him. Reid stopped in his tracks, but didn't answer, he only nodded his head and waved at the smiling man behind him as he entered the elevator._

………

"_He should be here soon, sweetie." Katelyn O'Neil ran her hand through the dark hair of the little girl playing with blocks on the coffee table. _

"_When?" The little girl turned around and smiled brightly, then quickly turned back to the tower she was building with the brightly coloured plastic cubes._

"_Soon." Katelyn smiled and leaned back into the couch to watch her three year old daughter place another block gently on top of the others. The little girl's hair was almost as dark as Katelyn's and her eyes were a darker shade of her own._

"_Why?" Katelyn's thoughts were broken as her daughter asked another question without turning from her masterpiece. _

"_Because he always comes to visit this time of the year." Katelyn replied as the tower crumbled and she slid forward to help her toddler pick up the pieces._

"_Why?" The little one asked again curiously._

"_Because it's mommy's birthday tomorrow." Katelyn explained and ran her hand under the coffee table to find the bright blue block that tumbled underneath._

"_Why?"_

"_Because it is." Katelyn smiled and turned to face her daughter, "No more questions…" She ruffled the little girl's staticky hair and then roughly pulled her own long dark tresses into a loose pony tail._

_The little girl pouted for a minute, but it was soon wiped off of her face as the doorbell rang and she shot to her feet and tore across the living room._

_Katelyn stood up too and chased her daughter to the door before she could open it. She glanced out the small peep hole as her daughter waited impatiently beneath her and a smile broke out across Katelyn's face._

"_You made it!" She cried and swung the door open to reveal the lanky, ruffled haired man on the other side._

"_Hey," Spencer Reid's face broke into a large smile as the three year old latched quickly onto his leg._

"_Unco 'Pencer!" The little girl squealed into his leg, making Reid chuckle nervously._

_Katelyn smiled at Reid apologetically as the toddler squeezed his leg, but Reid quickly squatted down so he was almost eye level with her._

"_Hi Keira! Can I come inside?" He asked slowly and the little girl quickly nodded her head and danced inside, Reid closing the door behind them._

"_How was your flight?" Katelyn asked as he set his bag down on the floor and Keira continued to grasp and tug at his pant leg. _

"_It was ok. Little bit of turbulence, but nothing I can't handle…" He pulled something out of the pocket on his cardigan and squatted back down to face Keira._

"_Guess what? I brought you a little something…" He mentioned and fought with getting the little toy out of his pocket as she stared at him with excited eyes. He pulled the red plastic toy free of his shirt and held it in between them._

_He smiled once he saw Keira staring at the contraption with a frown, "Here I'll show you how to play…" He held out the small red cup. It had a string attached to the bottom with a little ball attached to the other end. He moved the cup gently and tried to get the ball up and into the cup, but failed._

"_Shit…" He cursed under his breath and tried again._

"_Spence! Language…" Katelyn kicked at him gently from above and he apologized as Keira made a grab for the cup after seeing how much "fun" he was having._

"_Here, go play with it. Tell me if you get it in the cup!" Reid called after the little girl who ran back to the living room with her new mission._

"_What do you say Keira?" Katelyn hollered after the little girl and looked at Reid with a knowing smile._

"_Thanks Unco 'Pencer!" She yelled back from the living room._

"_It helps her with her motor skills and hand eye coordination…" Reid explained with a shrug as he turned back to Katelyn. Her arms were already open, ready to give him a big hug._

"_It's good to see you again." She said into his shoulder as they embraced. "Thanks for coming out."_

"_Are you kidding?" Reid replied in disbelief as he pulled away. "It's your birthday tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it for anything."_

_Katelyn's smile widened. "You know, she still can't pronounce her 'L's properly…" She informed Reid as they walked into the kitchen and he hopped up on one of the bar stools as she pulled a couple cold beers from the fridge and handed him one. Vegas was extremely hot that day and she wondered how her old friend could be wearing a sweater in this heat. She was wearing jean cut offs and a tank top and she was still close to breaking a sweat._

"_Thanks." Reid said gratefully and took a long swig of beer before replying, "You know it's ok. L's are one of the hardest sounds for toddlers to make. It's right behind the r's. She'll get it, don't worry. I'm surprised she's already good at the 's' sounds. Although, I think I'm going to be known as 'Uncle Pencer' forever…"_

_Katelyn laughed out loud and moved around the counter to sit on the bar stool next to him. _

"_You know, every time I see her she looks more and more like you…" Reid mentioned as he tilted back in his stool to glance at the little girl trying hard to get the ball inside the cup on the couch. "Damn, she's almost better than me at that stupid thing… And I was practicing on the plane…"_

"…_You really bought it for yourself didn't you? You just gave it to her because you couldn't get it…" Katelyn accused as she squinted her eyes at him. Reid sputtered on the beer he was about to swallow._

"_What? No… I bought it for her, I really did!" He protested with wide eyes, but Katelyn only slapped his arm playfully and shook her head. _

"_So how are you doing, Katie?" Reid asked sincerely as he stripped the sweater from his body. He momentarily forgot how hot Vegas could get in June._

"_I'm alright. Trying to keep busy, you know." Katelyn took a drink from the refreshing beer, then changed the subject. "Now tell me! What did you bring ME? It is MY birthday tomorrow…" She smiled at him through a playful glare, making him laugh out loud at the look. _


	3. Present Warning

**A/N: OMG, wow it's been a while. I hope you will all forgive me for not updating in FOREVER. But I'm trying to get back into the fanfic world, I haven't been able to in the last little while, but here it is! Also, please check out my profile to see my other stories, I actually just re read them all and really liked the H&S, DS, and L&F ones. If you have read these, please take a moment to take my poll on my profile page******

**-------**

**PRESENT DAY**

"…kidnapping young girls between the ages of 3 and 7. The Las Vegas Police Department has informed that in the last three days, five young girls have gone missing. They've already recovered the bodies of three of them, making them believe he keeps them alive for twenty four hours." JJ looked solemn and slightly disgusted as she informed the team on the new case that was brought to her only moments ago. She had instantly gathered the team together after finding out the needed details; she wanted to get this man as soon as they could. To her, it was beyond disturbing that whoever this man was he was targeting little girls. She momentarily thought of her own infant son at home with his daddy and she shuddered involuntarily just as Agent Hotchner spoke up,

"What was the cause of death?" He questioned as he flipped through the pages that JJ had handed out minutes ago.

She looked away briefly and fingered through the pages in her hand, even though she didn't need to. There was no way she could forget a gruesome detail like that. "LVPD says that all three victims had ligature marks on the wrists and ankles and the ultimate cause of death was asphyxiation. It appears that he eventually suffocated them by taping a bag around their heads…" JJ finished with a grimace and looked at the others seated around the board room table.

"How come someone be so messed up that they attack little kids like this? It just makes me sick," Morgan growled as he sat back in his chair and waved to the file folder in front of him. "One of the victims was only 3 years old, she was practically still an infant."

The others nodded, but no one had a good answer for the terrible things that happened in the world, or why they were all here to witness it all.

"That's what we're here for though, to stop them," Hotch said sternly as he looked to each of his team members, reminding them of all the good they do for the world, even though they have to see the sufferings up close.

"So they all went missing pretty much by being grabbed or lured when the parents or guardians weren't watching…" Reid read from the paper in front of him. "Is there any connection between the locations where they were kidnapped?"

JJ frowned and looked down at her own sheet of paper, "Umm… One was at a fast food restaurant, two were at department stores and two were at the park. All public places, but besides that they were all abducted in different parts of the city…"

"Ok, let's all meet at the jet in thirty minutes, we'll brief more on the plane. JJ, can you get Garcia to run a search to see if there are any connections between the families?" JJ nodded as she collected her papers from the table. "These last two girls were taken early this morning. If the LVPD are right, then we only have about 16 hours to find them."

Everyone began collecting their things and exiting the board room, but just as Reid picked up his folder from the large table, Morgan elbowed him roughly in the side.

"Looks like hometown visit comes early this year, eh?" He teased, but Reid merely rolled his eyes and gave him a look.

"I doubt it's going to be the same, this time I'll be looking for a serial killer whose targeting children. It's not exactly my idea of a fun hometown visit…" Reid drawled, but Morgan only smirked. He pat him on the back and said he would meet him out front in five minutes before departing the board room with the others.

Spencer Reid watched everyone disperse and as soon as he was alone in the boardroom, he set the file folder quickly back on the table and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He dialled quickly and turned his back slightly to the open door as the phone began ringing in his ear.

"Hey, it's me," he said into the phone as soon as someone picked up on the other line. He was oddly relieved when the voice on the other end sounded normal and not panicked in any way. He let out a small breath before he continued, "Listen, Katie, do you have a minute?"

---

Katelyn O'Neil's mood lightened slightly when she answered her cell phone and found out it was Spencer on the other end. She hadn't heard from him in a few days, but the fact that he was calling while she was in the middle of work made her slightly annoyed and she looked over her shoulder to make sure her boss wasn't watching.

'_Hey, can I get a gin and tonic over here?'_

Reid heard a gruff, male voice on the other line ask Katelyn and he heard her let out an exasperated sigh before coming back to the phone, "Spence, hold on a sec," she set the phone down under the bar and expertly poured the appropriate drink before handing it to the older man on the other side of the bar. It was early into the evening, but the man was practically drunk already. He was a regular at the older sports bar and Katelyn wasn't worried because she knew how to handle him if he got too out of hand.

After he finally coughed up the cash for the drink, mainly because Katelyn wouldn't allow him to run a tab anymore, she remembered her cell phone sitting underneath the bar top.

"Shit, sorry Spence," she muttered into the phone and almost wasn't sure if he was still on the other end.

"Hey, listen, Kate, can you talk for a minute?" Spencer asked seriously, making Katelyn frown slightly.

"Uh, sure, but only a minute. My boss is hovering because two newbies started today," Katelyn replied as she brushed her long black hair over her shoulder to look towards the front of the bar. Her boss' attention was focused on watching the young blonde pour a drink so Katelyn snuck to the back for a moment.

"Well, we just got a new case. There's a guy over there who's been abducting young girls," Spencer said quietly into the phone.

"Yeah, I've seen it on the news. Isn't it just sick? Makes me want to puke, if I knew who he was, boy would I make him pay," Katelyn rambled on as she remembered the update on the news that morning.

Spencer sighed impatiently and looked at the open door of the boardroom before turning his back to it again, "Katie, I'm serious. We've been called down there, it doesn't look like this guy is going to stop. Where's Keira?"

Katelyn frowned slightly, "She's with Jess at the daycare. Where she always is at this time on Wednesdays…"

"Well, maybe you should stay with her for the next couple days… You don't want to take any risks, by the sounds of it, this guy is pretty random." Spencer said quietly into the phone. The thought of his best friend's daughter being abducted was making him sick just thinking about it, but Katelyn's annoyed sigh on the other end stole his attention.

"Spence, I can't just stop working to stay with her for who knows how long, and I can't exactly bring her to work with me," she waved her hand around the back room of the sports bar even though he couldn't see her. She had been working at the bar for over two years now. It was a steady income and the tips were steady; she couldn't exactly look for a new job when she hadn't been able to go to college.

"I'm just saying you should be careful Kate. I don't want to risk anything happening to either of you," Spencer murmured just as Morgan came and knocked on the boardroom door. He waved at Reid impatiently, telling him to hurry up because the car was waiting outside. Reid nodded quickly and turned his attention back to the cell phone once Morgan was out of ear shot. "I just think it might be a good idea for you to keep a close eye on Keira."

Katelyn sighed on the other end as she ran a hand through her long, black hair. "I know Spence, but it's kind of hard when I have to work to make money for us. It's not exactly like I have another income coming from anyone," she said rather bitterly, thinking of Keira's nonexistent father.

"I can-"

"No!" Katelyn quickly cut Reid off, knowing exactly what he was about to say. "You're not giving me charity money here Spence, it's ok. Listen, Jess and her two colleagues are very responsible and I've had no problems with them. They watch a group of seven children and they're great, Keira is fine over there." When Spencer didn't say anything on the other end, she continued. "I'm off in a couple hours, I'll make sure to get Keira right after and I'll tell Jess to be careful. Don't worry, Spence, I'm not about to let anything happen to my little girl, ok?"


	4. Seventeen

**A/N: I may have changed a few details true to the show (regarding Reid's college experience, etc), but don't hate me! Pls take notice of the note at the end and pls review!**

**------------------**

_**10 Years Earlier…**_

"Ok, I'm going to ask you something and if you don't say yes I'm going to punch you in the face," seventeen year old Katelyn O'Neil threatened as she looked up at Spencer Reid whose attention was previously intent on the thick chemistry book in his lap. He looked up at her through his thick glasses in shock and slight fear, but she was only looking back at him with a serious expression on her face.

"…What…?" He questioned slowly, suddenly becoming suspicious. They were sitting on the large patio swing that was nestled against the house him and his mom lived in. The sun was hanging low in the distance and they had spent the evening together just hanging out like they had for the past few years.

Katelyn had spent a lot of her time out of school at Spencer's house. Her parents were always fighting and Katelyn had grown accustomed to it, but tired of being caught in the middle and blamed for their hostile anger towards one another. It hadn't been an easy life for an only child to grow up with a dad that was never around because of work or the fact that he was addicted to the slot machines and gambling sensations of Las Vegas. On the other hand, her mother was constantly home, due to the fact that she couldn't hold down a job for more than a couple weeks and most of that was because of her obsession with alcohol. Katelyn couldn't count the number of times she had come home from school and her mother was already passed out on the couch.

It was these times when Katelyn would escape to a friend's house for the evening until she was tired enough to go home and sleep. It became more frequent that she would come to Spencer Reid's house over the years because it was easy and his family seemed to be having troubles. And even though their parents were polar opposites, it made Katelyn feel slightly better that her family wasn't the only one that wasn't perfect. When Spencer had told her about the time his dad left him and his mom, Katelyn had come over more often to keep him and his mother company. When Spencer had begun college, Katelyn would come over on the nights where he needed to be at the library and she would spend time with Spencer's mom where they would take or play cards or even bake cookies at 10pm. Katelyn knew Mrs. Reid's mind was wandering, but she didn't care. Anything was better than her real family.

Spencer eyed Katelyn cautiously; one of her knees was drawn up to her chest and the other leg was hanging from the porch swing, gently pushing against the floor to keep the swing in motion. The action once made Spencer sick to his stomach, but he had grown accustomed to it because Katelyn had argued logically that a swing wasn't a swing unless you swung.

He looked at her again. She looked as if she was debating something inside her mind as she studied him back, but the staring contest was interrupted as a small breeze came and brushed a strand of her hair into her eyes. She swatted it away; her once harsh, thick bangs had grown out in her teen years and she know wore them longer and to the side, framing her face while the rest of her raven coloured hair was pulled into a routine, messy ponytail.

When he gave her a questioning look, she sighed loudly and tilted her head back to rest on the hard wood of the swing.

"Will you go to my grad with me?" She asked, but the question came out more as a demand as she turned her head towards him. His eyebrows flurried up quickly and he suddenly sat up straighter in the swing, dropping his legs down to the deck to stop the dizzying motion.

"W-what?" He asked, not sure he had heard right. She sighed again and whacked her hands against the wooden seat,

"My grad! It's in a couple weeks. Wanna go with me?" She restated more cheerfully and a smile began to creep its way across her face.

"N-no! Go with someone else, take Dave," Spencer quickly replied as he shook his head firmly. "I didn't even go to my own grad Kate, what makes you think I'll go to yours?"

Katelyn let out a long whine that ended in a frustrated grunt. "Come on, Spence. Come with me! Dave can't go anyways, you know he's going to Europe with his family for a month then, he's going to miss grad completely. I don't want to go alone!"

Spencer's face was practically full of fear as he stared, trying to think of another excuse not to go. He was done with high school, he had graduated three years ago and had no plan of going back under any circumstances. College was more his style, he was still taking heavy course loads even after three years, but it kept him busy and he was able to go at his own pace with no high school drama of bullies or immature teachers.

Suddenly the weight of the chemistry book on his lap clicked his attention, "Exam! I have a huge exam coming up, I have to study. You know I can't fail," he sputtered and struggled to hold the large book up as proof.

Katelyn scoffed, "That exam is next week, you'll be done long before grad." She glared at him as his eyes shifted away and studied his feet.

"Kate, I really don't want to," Spencer pleaded. "Come on, I know there's probably at least ten of those jocks who have already asked you to go, why don't you just go with one of them?"

Katelyn rolled her eyes and slumped into the back of the swing while she kicked his leg so she could start pushing the swing back and forth again, "Only five have asked… But that's beside the point," she frowned to herself while gazing forward at a car that drove by. "Besides, those guys are all jerks Spence… You know they only want one thing anyways, especially at grad."

Spencer's cheeks began to flush wildly beneath his dark rimmed glasses and he looked away, trying to focus on the cover of the chemistry book. Katelyn looked over at him and bit back her laughter.

"Speeeence…" She whined loudly, "Come on. I don't want to go with any of those jerks, I'd rather go with someone I know, you know?"

He looked up at her and couldn't help but notice the pleading look in her eyes and he sighed dramatically, "You know how much I don't want to go back there…"

"I know Spence, but you and Dave are like my best friends and I don't want to go to grad if I can't have fun, and I know I won't have fun with those leeches. Please?"

He frowned as he studied her face and sighed loudly again while shoving the chemistry book off of his lap and sunk into the wood of the porch swing.

"Fine." He replied after a few minutes of silence and Katelyn broke into a smile before slapping him on the arm.

"You're the best, Spence," she said sincerely and relaxed as the sun began to set in the distance.

-----

**A/N: I'm planning on throwing in a bunch of 'one-shot' flashbacks like this throughout the story to showcase the developed relationship between Katelyn/Spencer, but I'm not sure if it will make the story too confusing. PLEASE review to let me know your thoughts on this, it would be much appreciated! **


	5. Present Scare

**A/N: Sorry this one is so short, but I spit it out quickly! **

**---  
**

**PRESENT**

"Ok, if this profile is right then we only have about twelve hours to find this guy or we have two more bodies to find," Morgan paced in the smaller boardroom of the Las Vegas Police Department as he strained his mind to think. They had arrived at the police station only an hour ago and had already set up a board of the known victims and the two little girls who were currently being held hostage. The smiling pictures of the young children stared back at him in irony and he had to look away before he snapped.

JJ cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Emily and I spoke with the parents of the girls who are missing. Sarah Laughlin was taken in broad daylight on the sidewalk just outside of a popular café. The mother said she turned to buy a magazine from a newspaper vendor and when she turned around Sarah was lost in the crowd. She screamed out for her, but she seemed to have vanished."

Emily Prentiss nodded, "The other girl was taken from the movie theatre. Jessie Bourn went to the movies with her parents and when her mother took her to the washroom, Jessie claimed she could go by herself in the stall. When the mother came out, Jessie wasn't in the stall anymore and she ran out of the washroom, but she was gone. Both sets of parents are just sick with overwhelming guilt…"

"Ok, did Garcia find any connection between the families?" Hotch asked, but JJ shook her head in reply. There had been nothing tying any of the families together.

"Well, what are some similarities between the victims?" Rossi wondered out loud as he stared at the smiling faces tacked to the large bulletin board at the front of the room.

"Obviously there's the physical attributes," Morgan pointed out. It was one of the first things the team had noticed when they were sent the pictures. "All of them have darker hair, shoulder length. Their eyes are all different colors though."

"Actually, all of the victims were practically within centimetres of the same size," Reid added as he flipped through a couple pages in front of him. "Their ages range from 3 years old to 7, but their height and weight were all strikingly similar. One victim was 3, three were 4 and only one was 7 years old. The mother said she was born premature and was practically half the size of other kids her age."

The team frowned at the observation as they studied the folders in front of them.

"So he's obviously attacking the same type, do you think it could be a preference or is it something more than that?" JJ asked, but frowned at the thought. The cases involving children hit home for her too much now that she had Henry. She couldn't understand how anyone could hurt something so precious, none of the team could, but all they could think about was catching the man who was.

"Ok, Detective Anderson advised they interviewed all of the families. Reid, Prentiss, I want you to go over the interviews and see if you can find anything there. JJ and Morgan, I'd like you to go to the theatre and talk with the employees again to see if we've missed anything. Rossi and I will go to the street where Sarah Laughlin was abducted and we'll check with the people who were working around that area to see if anyone noticed anything. We're on a time limit here. Reid, Prentiss, I want you to stay in contact with Garcia, get her to keep digging. There has to be some similarity between them. If anyone here's anything from forensics, I want to know right away. This guy's smart he hasn't been leaving anything behind and no DNA has been found on the other victims yet," Hotch explained as he stood up from the table and looked at his team.

Everyone began to disperse and Emily looked over at Reid just as they were exiting the boardroom, "Let's go get the interview statements from Detective Anderson, we'll see if we can find anything."

Reid nodded, "We should also see if Garcia can find any similarities between the locations. They're all over geographically, but there could be something else there, maybe-"

"_I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS, I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE NOW!"_

Both of their attention, including Hotch's and Rossi's were turned suddenly to the loud voice coming from the station. They all looked at each other and began to make their way to the front.

"_DON'T YOU GET IT?! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"_

The four of them rounded the corner and the front of the station came into view where they saw a thin woman wearing faded jeans and a dark tank top. Her back was facing them, but the look of the police woman's face on the other side of the desk was almost intimidated as she stood up and faced the distressed woman in front of her.

Her hair was extremely dark and long and she suddenly brought her overly large red bag down on the police officer's desk, where it collided with a thud and scattered a few items to the floor.

"My daughter's missing and I want someone to do something about it! I'm not joking damnit, who can I talk to around here that will do something?!" The dark haired woman pulled her purse from the desk and turned to look around the police station. She obviously wasn't willing to wait around for the police woman to help her as she scanned the station frantically.

"Oh shit," Prentiss heard Reid murmur from behind her right shoulder just before he pushed past, heading towards the scene. "Katie! Katelyn!"

The dark haired girl suddenly focused on him walking towards her and she frowned in confusion at first. Her face was slightly damp with tears and her wispy bangs were wiped carelessly to one side as she clutched the red bag in her right hand.

"Spence?" She called out just before her face crumpled and she broke down as she took a step forward and wrapped her arms tightly around the young FBI profiler.

---

**Pls review and let me know what you think!**


	6. Coffee Shop

**A/N: I hope I'm making you guys happy by my speed of updating! This is kind of a cute little chap. Again, pls mind my mild changes with Reid's past of schooling. I've kind of made it that his first couple years of college was spent in Las Vegas. And with that said, the story continues… Enjoy!**

**---**

**10 Years and 4 months earlier…**

Katelyn O'Neil sat quietly in the small booth of the popular coffee shop as she nibbled on a piece of banana bread. She was flipping through a magazine, but wasn't paying much attention to it as her thoughts wandered to the fact that she would be graduating that year. It should be a happy time, but she had to admit that she was feeling slightly anxious and worried about the repercussions of what would come afterwards. She hardly had any money saved up for college and she was almost positive that there would be no funding coming from her parents.

She sighed and wiped her hands on a napkin before looking at her watch. Spencer was supposed to meet her at the coffee shop in ten minutes so they could go watch the new Star Wars movie at the theatre. Dave was going to meet them there since he would be coming from his part time job at his father's store. Katelyn didn't have to work that day after school, so she had told Spencer to meet her at the coffee shop after his last class at the university.

The small bell chimed above the front door of the coffee shop just as Katelyn reached for her coffee. She looked up from her spot in the booth, hoping that it was Spencer so they could get a move on, but instead it was three good looking guys who were laughing and pushing each other as they stepped up to the barista at the counter. Katelyn rolled her eyes at the sight of the leather jackets with the initials UNLV, or University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She recognized the initials immediately, they were from the same school Spencer was attending and from the looks of the guys rough housing, University wasn't any different than high school.

They were just like the jocks Katelyn was constantly ignoring at school, except these guys were a bit older. Suddenly one of them laughed loudly and one of the others carelessly tossed their cup lid to the floor opposed to the garbage. She rolled her eyes and looked at her watch again before turning her attention back to the magazine in front of her.

---

"Shit man, would you look at the legs on that fine lady in the booth?" One of the University jocks said as he elbowed his buddies beside him. The blonde with the C on the breast of his jacket turned from the young barista to see what his friend was talking about. His eyes quickly fell on the slim dark haired girl sitting by herself with her eyes locked on the pages of some magazine. His eyes roamed in appreciation up the legs that were bared by the mini skirt she had on before checking out the rest of her. She was definitely a ten.

"She's mine, fellas," the blonde guy bragged as he grabbed his coffee from the counter. "Now, sit back and watch the master."

The two other guys laughed as the blonde stepped away and approached Katelyn. He sat down in the booth across from her and she hardly looked up from his magazine as he set his coffee on the table.

"Hey, my name's Jeff, what's yours?" He asked smoothly.

Katelyn briefly looked up from her magazine to give the guy a look.

He laughed softly and took a sip of his coffee before leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. "Playing hard to get, eh? Well, that's good for me, I like the chase."

Katelyn raised her eyebrows sarcastically and tried to ignore him while looking much too interested in the pages in front of her.

"Well, what say you and me get outta here, huh? I'd like to take you out," Jeff drawled expertly as he gave her his best smile.

Katelyn sighed and closed the magazine before looking up at him, "I'm actually waiting for someone."

"Aw, well that's ok, babe. How about later tonight?"

The front door jingled again and Katelyn was suddenly distracted as the two other jocks started heckling loudly. She frowned in curiosity and craned her neck to see what the commotion was about.

"_Well, if it isn't the geeksquad…" _One of the boys called and surrounded whoever just walked in.

"_Yeah, looks like little genius here thinks he can hang with the big kids. Don't kid yourself, boy, just because you're smart doesn't mean we still can't kick your ass." _The other one teased and Katelyn noticed him push whoever walked in.

Spencer came into view as he crashed into the garbage can behind him and he struggled to hold onto the Psychology book in his hands while avoiding the eyes of the two jocks he knew from the University. He had thought it would be a lot easier than high school, and it was for the most part, but there were definitely things he couldn't escape. He frequently wondered if his intellectual gift was actually a curse.

Katelyn's eyes widened once she noticed it was her friend being hassled by the jocks who were at least twice his size.

"…sometime?" Her attention was snapped back to the guy across from her after she realized he had still been talking.

"What?"

He turned in curiosity to see what she had been looking at and laughed when he noticed his buddies pestering the little dweeb from school.

"Ha, don't worry. My boys will show him where he belongs," Jeff smiled and then winked at Katelyn.

She scowled at him as she began sliding out of the booth, "Excuse me," she muttered at him and grabbed her sweater from the seat before making her way towards the door.

She made sure to use her sexiest walk as she moved, knowing his type well enough that he was watching her back side. Once she reached the front of the café, she shoved her way through the two jocks and smiled brightly at her flustered friend who was busy straightening his glasses.

"Spence, finally you made it," she breathed and walked up to him before grabbing at the back of his neck to pull him forward. She pulled his lips to hers and gave him a hard kiss before breaking away with a smile. His expression was complete shock as he stared back at her with his mouth opened slightly.

"Come on, let's go or we'll miss the movie," she said before looping her arm in his and began walking towards the door. Before they exited the coffee shop, she looked over her shoulder to smirk at the shocked expressions on the three boys staring after them in disbelief.

"W-what was that…?" Spencer finally managed to spit out as they began walking down the sidewalk. Katelyn pulled her arm from his and smiled with a shrug of her shoulders.

"It was the only way I figured I could stop that creepy blonde dude from hitting on me," she said, not wanting him to think that he needed a girl to protect and rescue him from a bunch of jocks.

He couldn't think of a reply and could only struggle to hide the blush that was covering his entire face.

---

**Pls make my day and review!**


	7. Present Kidnapping

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far! Keep 'em coming, I love your input!  
p.s. Sorry, this chapter is a shorty!**

**---**

**PRESENT DAY**

"Ok, so let's run through this again from the beginning. Tell me exactly what happened after you got off from work," Agent Emily Prentiss asked gently as she sat down at the steel table in one of the interrogation rooms. It was one of the only private areas left at the police station to talk, apparently Las Vegas was currently in its prime for criminal behaviour.

Katelyn took in a deep breath and tried to smile at Prentiss who handed her a Styrofoam cup of coffee. The smile faltered quickly and she rest her head in her hands for a moment and took a drink of the lukewarm coffee before repeating the story again.

"I drove to Jess Downing's small daycare centre on 174th. She and two helpers watch Keira along with six other kids the same age and I always go straight there after work," Katelyn crossed, then uncrossed her legs; the hard chairs were uncomfortable and she was beginning to get chilled in the air conditioned room. "When I got there, everything was like normal. Most of the parents usually come the same time as I do to pick up their kids, well except when I work on the weekends because I work at a sports bar and I don't get off until late… But anyways, we were all in the back yard where Jess has some playground equipment and stuff… The whole backyard is surrounded with chain link fence, I don't know how someone could…" Katelyn frowned and shook her head before continuing,

"I was chatting with Jess and two of the other parents while the kids were playing on the swings. We were only turned away for a second and when I went to get Keira to leave, she was gone…" A tear fell down her face as she replayed the scene in her head. "One of the kids said she left. Said some guy on the trail behind her house was calling her over and-"

Katelyn had to stop as the emotion bubbled up inside of her and an angry frown crossed her face as she brought the cheap coffee to her lips for a distraction. Prentiss reached over and touched her forearm in comfort.

---

"Where's the father? Does he know that his little girl has been kidnapped?" Morgan wondered out loud as he, Hotch and Reid watched the conversation on the other side of the one way mirror.

"There is no father," Reid replied almost bitterly as he watched his friend begin to fall apart on the other side of the mirror. "And her name is Keira."

Morgan eyed Hotch from Reid's reaction and frowned slightly before looking at Reid whose eyes were locked on the conversation in the other room. "So how come you never mentioned this little gem to us before?" He asked with a light tone, trying to distract Reid a little. He could tell he was definitely affected by this new information and after finding out he had been friends with the hot little number for years, he couldn't help but be curious.

"Huh?" Reid pried his eyes away from the window and frowned at Morgan before shaking his head. "Oh, uh, I don't know. It didn't really come up, I guess." Was all he said before turning his attention back to Prentiss who had started asking another question.

"Ok, JJ and Rossi are interviewing the parents and the people who were at the day care. The child who saw the person luring Keira is the closest thing we have to a witness, so let's hope he can give a decent description… We still have the impression that he has those two other girls hostage and we're running out of time," Hotch advised with a stern look. "Detective Anderson and a couple of his officers are with JJ at the day care and forensics are scanning the path behind the daycare."

Morgan nodded and watched Reid nod out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't turn away from the window.

"You two stay here, Morgan I want you and Prentiss to get a hold of Garcia. If this guy had a car parked in the back alley and the little boy can give even the slightest description of it, I want her to run every search she can," Hotch turned back just as he was reaching for the door handle to exit the room. "Reid," he called and Reid quickly spun around to look at him as if he was being jerked from a day dream. "I want you to stay here with Katelyn. Work on victimology, you already know her daughter fairly well I'm assuming, see if you can find any similarities between the… others." Hotch covered, not wanting to say 'victims' seeing as one of his team members was now personally involved with the case. He nodded before leaving the room and closing the door after him.

Reid sighed as he leaned his back against the window and closed his eyes briefly while running his hand over them. He suddenly felt tired, like this whole case was only a dream. When he opened his eyes, Morgan was looking at him in concern which made Reid sigh again.

"Give it up Morgan, I've been friends with her since I was like 11. I don't want to get into it now," he muttered, but Morgan only shook his head.

"Kid, I'm not trying to pawn any information from you… There's plenty of time for that later," he added as a joke and smiled deviously at Reid, but the smile disappeared when he noticed his friend's distressed look.

Suddenly Reid reached to his back pocket and pulled out his weathered, brown leather wallet. Morgan frowned in confusion, but Reid quickly flipped through a few pockets and pulled out a picture. He stared at it for a few seconds before handing it to Morgan, "She has the exact same physical attributes as the other victims. We know he's targeting the specific type, but why? We had to of missed something, did we go over those transcripts of the locations again?"

Morgan looked down at the photo; it was a smiling version of the frazzled woman who was in the interrogation room. She was holding a little girl who was approximately three years old and almost looked like an exact miniature of Katelyn with the raven coloured hair and green eyes. Katelyn was laughing and trying to make the little girl wave towards the camera.

---

**A/N: Ok readers, it's time for your opinions to help me figure out where to lead the story! We know Katelyn's daughter has been kidnapped and it's up to you: Should this story have a happy ending or a dramatic/angsty 'unhappy' ending? Your input will decide where I will go with it! So please review or PM me with your ideas. I don't want to continue until I have at least a few people who let me know their thoughts. Thx!**


	8. 21

**A/N: Warning on this chapter for implied violence. **

**---**

**_5 Years, 2 Months and 14 days earlier..._**

"Did we really have to come to the bar for your 21st birthday? It's so cliché, everyone does it… Why couldn't we have done something different like play boggle or have a Star Trek marathon?"

Spencer Reid drawled as Katelyn handed him one of the beers in her hands and rolled her eyes. She flashed their friend Dave a large smile who was only laughing while shaking his head.

"Come on Spence, don't worry. No one knows you're only 20. That ID is bullet proof, believe me when I say I trust my sources," Katelyn promised as she shouted into his ear over the loud music playing in the club. She took a swig of her beer and smiled while surveying the bar scene in front of them; it wasn't something she hadn't already seen, she had been to the bar plenty of times, but this time she was legal to do so. She had to admit it wasn't as risky and exhilarating as before, but it felt good to be legally recognized as an adult.

Spencer looked weary as he gave Dave a pleading look, but his friend only pat him on the back and leaned in closer, "Don't worry man, this girl has tricks up her sleeve. Bet you didn't know she's been using a fake ID since she was 16."

Spencer looked shocked, but waved his hand dramatically, motioning for Dave not to speak the words 'fake ID' out loud. He was already skittish about getting caught, he hadn't even taken a drink of the beer yet.

"Geez, Spence could you at least give me a smile? It would be the least you could give me, it is my birthday after all!" Katelyn said loudly as she gave him a sarcastic look, but was smiling in spite of it.

He frowned playfully at her, "For my last birthday, you got me a hug," he countered back which made Katelyn's mouth drop, but then she pretended to pout. It got a smile out of him though and he and Dave pushed her around playfully as they walked through the nearly full club. They managed to find a small table that was empty and all took a seat on the only three bar stools left surrounding it.

"So how does it feel to be 21?" Spencer asked sincerely. He was glad he didn't have to shout as loud over the music now that they were away from the bar and the speakers facing the dance floor. He wasn't very comfortable in this scene at all and was beginning to feel slightly hot from all the body heat. He refrained from touching too many surfaces and he definitely would try his best not to use the washroom. He had read up on how many germs or diseases you could catch simply by touching the wrong things at a bar with this many people, especially in downtown Las Vegas.

Katelyn shrugged at his question as she drank from the bottle of beer again, "Feels just as good as 20!" She replied with a wink.

The boys laughed and Dave purposely clinked his beer to Spencer's, motioning for him to take a drink. Spencer looked down at the yellowy liquid and scrunched his face dubiously while watching the two heckling him to take a drink. He finally gave in, fearing they would create a scene.

"There you go, Spence!" Katelyn cheered just as one of the waitresses brought them a round of shots and began to set them on the table.

Spencer looked down at the tiny viles of liquid and turned to the scantily clad waitress, "Oh, um, no we didn't order these," he protested, but the woman only looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

Katelyn laughed, "No, Spence it's cool, we asked for them at the bar. Thanks," She told the waitress and gave her a few bills before the waitress stepped away and disappeared into the crowds of people.

"Ok, now Spence, you don't have to do the shot…" Dave said levelly as he slowly spread the liquor to each of them. "But it IS Katie's birthday and I'm sure nothing would wow her and make her day more than you, Spencer Reid, actually taking a shot."

He looked up in disbelief at Dave who was towering on the bar stool. He looked at least 23 and wasn't even ID'd at the door of the club. The manual labour he had been doing at his dad's store for the last couple years had packed on the muscle and he even had a goatee now. Spencer had been slightly jealous, he was 20 years old and could hardly grow enough facial hair to shave.

His eyebrows flurried slightly in worry and his face turned to Katelyn, but her eyes were only batting in exaggeration at him.

"Ah, Katie don't do that," Spencer protested and pushed her face away as his cheeks blushed slightly in the dim light. She laughed out loud and slapped at his hand, but picked up her shot glass seriously.

"Come on, Spence. ONE shot. For me? It's all I ask, I swear," she held up her hand in scout's honor and held the shot glass up with the other above the small table. Dave immediately obliged and held his shot glass against hers, then they both looked at Spencer expectantly.

He sighed loudly and fingered the tiny glass in front of him before rolling his eyes, "Fine! But I'm not doing anymore."

Katelyn and Dave cheered as Spencer's glass touched theirs and they brought it up to their lips where they swallowed the alcohol quickly. Spencer watched and followed suit, soon feeling the burning sensation of the liquor down his throat and coughed soon after.

"Thatta boy!" Dave pat him on the back hard which only made Spencer cough more, but Katelyn reached over and shook his shoulder in appreciation.

"Awesome, Spence! That totally made my birthday!" She laughed out loud with Dave and flashed him a bright smile, which made him smile back through the scrunched expression on his face.

"Uh, good," he replied as he pushed his now empty shot glass far away from him on the table.

"Ok, ok," Katelyn said as she stood up and drank from the bottle of beer, "Now, since Spence did that for me, I'm going to be nice and not make him dance." She glared at him playfully, but he secretly was suddenly grateful that he did the shot. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he was forced on the dance floor. "Let's go play some pool, a table just opened up. That sound good to you guys?"

They agreed, Spencer nodding quickly. Pool he could do; he was actually pretty good at it and it was a lot better than dancing or doing any more shots.

"Great, ok can you take this for me," Katelyn shoved her half empty bottle of beer at Spencer before grabbing her purse from the table. "You guys go take that table before someone else grabs it, I'm just going to go out back for a smoke before we start."

Dave rolled his eyes and Spencer frowned at her, "Why do you always have to smoke when you go out? Why smoke at all?" He asked disapprovingly, but Katelyn only stuck her tongue out at him and smiled before disappearing into the crowd to the back door that led to the alley.

---

"Man, what is taking that girl so long?" Dave asked as he twirled the triangle in his hands. They had been waiting for almost twenty minutes for Katelyn to come back from outside and had to push away two groups of people who wanted to play on the table. "We can't hold this table for much longer…"

Spencer shrugged, but frowned in concern.

"Shit, maybe she hooked up with some guy in the alley!" Dave laughed suddenly, but Spencer only looked at him in fear.

"I hope not… Can you imagine what kind of things you could catch from doing that… Out there? Or anywhere near a bar for that matter? I read that even the bar counter in here contains as many germs as the average public toilet and-"

"Spence, Spence," Dave waved his hands in front of him dramatically, "I don't need to know this kind of stuff, ok?"

Spencer shrugged, but looked towards where Katelyn had disappeared nearly twenty minutes ago.

"Maybe we should go check on her?" He suggested and set his empty beer bottle on the ledge of the pool table. Dave quickly finished his drink and nodded his head in agreement before pushing Spencer towards the back.

When they finally pushed through the crowds, they back exit came into view and they pushed through the door into the dimly lit back alley.

"Hey Kate, get a move on, we can't hold the table forever!" Dave yelled out into the alleyway, but they were confused to see that it was deserted.

"You don't think she would have gone home do you?" Spencer asked, suddenly concerned that she was wondering the streets by herself. Las Vegas wasn't a safe place when you were alone.

"Nah, she wouldn't do that…" Dave muttered before calling out her name again. They could hear the soft thud of bass music coming from inside, but nothing else. "Come on," Dave waved at Spence and they began walking the back alley towards the main road. Spencer shoved his hands into the pockets of his corduroys, Las Vegas was slightly chilly that night and he had to quicken his step to keep up with Dave.

They stopped suddenly to look around and Dave cupped his hands around his mouth, "KATELYN!"

They stood and listened for a few minutes until Spencer's eyes lit up, "Wait, did you hear that?"

Dave strained his ears and suddenly heard a faint cry that sounded close by.

"Katelyn!" He called out and started sprinting down the back alley and Spencer almost had to run to keep up with them.

"..help…" Another faint cry sounded and as soon as they landed on the other side of the dumpster, a horrifying sight came into view.

"Holy shit, Katelyn," Dave shouted as he reached the spot before Spencer. When Spencer rounded the dumpster, he quickly saw Katelyn's body lying on the hard cement of the back alley. The dress she had been wearing was ripped all the way up the side and her face was cut and swollen on one side. Her legs looked full of scratches and swollen red marks and Spencer suddenly noticed the pair of underwear carelessly tossed a few feet away.

He didn't even think to blush as he quickly dropped to his knees and tugged of his sweater to cover her body with shaking hands.

"Oh my god Katie, what happened," he heard himself ask, but couldn't register it as he stared down at her face which was covered in blood and smeared mascara. The tears fell down her face and she couldn't seem to speak.

"Where the hell is he?!" Dave's anger suddenly burst as he stood up and looked around them, but no one was in sight, He clenched his fists at his side then ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what to do besides find whoever did this and beat the crap out of him.

"D-dave? I think she just lost consciousness… Call 911… Call 911!" Spencer demanded as he struggled with what to do with his hands. He tucked his sweater around her freezing body and looked around helplessly. He saw the ripped underwear again and on the other side of it was the purse she had been carrying. Her cell phone was lying right next to her and had been smashed to pieces.

He could hear Dave speaking frantically with a 911 operator, but he couldn't make out the words he was saying as he looked down at his friend, suddenly feeling the guilt and anger collide with the shock inside of him.

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**Please review! **


	9. 21 Plus 4 and a Half Months

_**4 Years and 10 Months earlier…**_

Katelyn sat still on the second hand couch as the fan was set to continuously blow on her overheated body. Her feet were propped on the coffee table in front of her and she felt her eyes beginning to close even though the Las Vegas heat was creeping towards 113 degrees Fahrenheit and even for the Vegas born it was getting uncomfortably hot. Especially for those who weren't fortunate enough to afford air conditioners.

She adjusted the strap of her bikini top and frowned slightly in disgust because her body was already perspiring even though she just got out of the shower not even half an hour ago. She had been donning a bikini top and shorts for the last couple days because of the heat wave, but debated going into work on her days off just so she could be in the air conditioned sports bar. She rolled her eyes to herself at the thought and quickly determined that she wasn't that desperate.

The smaller townhouse was quiet. She was currently renting and had been for almost a year now. Just before she had turned 17, her father had left for good and didn't look back once claiming his wife was a stumbling drunk who didn't know left from right and his daughter was an ungrateful leech. Katelyn had felt as if she had been slapped, she was anything but ungrateful. When she watched her father storm out and never return, she had been left with a mother whose alcoholism climaxed. Only a week after her father left, her mother had been drunk driving and accidentally ran over a guy who had been crossing the street. He was killed instantly and Katelyn's mother was still serving her sentence in the Las Vegas correctional facility. Katelyn hasn't visited her mother once since she had been put away, and she wasn't planning on it. She had never been close to either of her parents and them being out of the picture wasn't anything new to her.

Katelyn groaned out loud when she realized she had left her glass of ice water on the counter in the kitchen. She debated leaving it for a few more minutes, but the heat quickly made her change her mind and she reluctantly peeled herself off of the couch. Just as she was leaving the living room, a knock sounded at her door and she stopped so suddenly that she almost fell on the linoleum. She quickly recovered and went to answer the door while thoughts of getting a portable fan played in her mind.

"Hey!" She greeted in surprise once she swung the door open and saw Spencer standing on the other side. He smiled brightly at her and shoved her out of the way so he could get out of the blazing sun.

"Jesus, how can you be wearing pants?" Katelyn exclaimed once he was inside and she noticed the light beige trousers he had on along with a faded t-shirt.

Spencer looked down at himself as he walked towards the kitchen, "I have chicken legs. It's not exactly something I want to show off…" He replied with his back turned to Katelyn as he reached into the cupboard for a glass then opened the fridge for a soda.

Katelyn leaned against the door jam of the kitchen as she watched on. "Sure, Spence, help yourself," she teased with a smile, but he just laughed as he poured the soda into his awaiting glass and added ice. He snatched her water from the counter and passed it to her before quickly stealing her spot in front of the fan on the couch.

"So how was school today?" Katelyn asked as she sat down next to him and put her feet up on the coffee table.

He shrugged as he swallowed half of the beverage and set it down before leaning into the back of the couch. "It was alright…" He brushed off without looking her in the eye. Katelyn raised an eyebrow suspiciously as she watched him fidget almost nervously.

"You're finally getting a bump, hey?" He stated as he looked at her bare stomach which was sticking out slightly. Katelyn rubbed her stomach self consciously at the comment, but offered a smile in spite of it.

"Yeah, finally… It's been over four months so I should be finally showing," she muttered and then poked at the jewel on her bellybutton. "Looks like I'll have to take this sucker out pretty soon, hey? Plus, how hot would I look nine months pregnant and a bellybutton ring jutting out."

Spencer smiled at the thought. "Did you know how much of a risk it is to keep a piercing there in for the duration of pregnancy? Once the stomach begins to enlarge throughout the fifth and sixth month, the skin becomes very taut around the bellybutton and you can risk the skin tearing and definitely infection. Actually, they've made a, uh," he paused and chuckled to himself, "pregnancy piercing rings now. Yeah, they're these um, non-metal flexible rings that are larger so they can accommodate as your stomach grows."

Katelyn remained staring at him as if he had just sprouted a third eye, but her expression soon caught on and her eyes narrowed at him. "Ok, Spencer, what's going on…?"

His face fell and he suddenly looked uncomfortable as he crossed, then uncrossed his legs, then placed both feet on the coffee table. "Um, it's… It's nothing, really! You don't have anything to worry about…"

Katelyn reached out and pinched his leg which made him yelp out loud, "Until now I didn't, spit it out Spencer! You're hiding something."

He looked pained as he rubbed his thigh, but sighed out loud. "Fine, I got an acceptance letter today… For a job," he started and Katelyn quickly clapped her hands and interrupted.

"Spence! That's great!" She cheered, but he didn't look too happy at all.

"It's um, it's kind of big, but I don't think I'm going to take it…" He continued while avoiding her gaze and directed his attention at rolling up his pant legs. It was suddenly a lot hotter in the room than it had been five minutes ago.

"Well, what is it?" Katelyn asked with a frown.

"Uh…" He reached up and scratched the back of his head. "It's, uh, a position as a Supervisory Special Agent at the BAU in Quantico… But it's too far away, I'm not going to take it."

Katelyn's mouth fell open and she quickly wound up and slapped him on the arm. "What! Why not, I can't believe it Spence, are you kidding me? You have to take it! This kind of opportunity doesn't come often!"

He winced and leaned away from her, but continued to reply, "Because, it's too far away. I mean I'd rather have something here in Vegas, especially with um, you and uh," he stammered as he pointed to her stomach.

Katelyn rolled her eyes and whacked him on the arm again, "Jesus Christ, Spencer. I don't need a babysitter! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you!"

"Yeah, but I mean there's you and my mom has only been in the institution for not even two years, I can't just leave her there…" He stammered while trying to think of any other excuses.

Katelyn wound up and hit him again, "Spencer Austen Reid!" She said sternly and Spencer flinched partially because of the beating she was putting him through, but also from the direct use of his middle name. It wasn't something that many people knew, in fact he didn't even remember ever telling Katelyn. He never announced it because his mother gave him his middle name and it was during her Jane Austen phase. He would never admit his middle name came from a famous female.

"What?" He demanded and swatted at her arms until she finally stood up and began pacing in the small living room. "Geez, you're awfully scrappy for being pregnant…"

She spun and glared at him for the comment, but then continued pacing as she looked him in the eyes. "Spencer, you're taking this job. I know how much you've been waiting for an opportunity like this, you don't have any excuses. I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Dave's here anyways, and don't worry about your mom because again, I will be here. You can't not take this, Spence…" Her voice began to soften and she stopped pacing, but continued to look at him. "We both know you're going to take this job."

His face fell and he looked at the beige carpet, but nodded his head slowly. When he looked back up, his expression was solemn and Katelyn opened her arms for a hug. He quickly stood up and embraced her tightly.

"How am I going to be able to move almost 2000 miles away from you guys?" He wondered out loud and Katelyn didn't have an answer, but squeezed back tightly.

"Spence, if you have a chance to catch people like the bastard who did this to me… Then you go there and be the best damn… Super… Special Agent or whatever it is you said…"

Spencer laughed softly in the crook of her neck and Katelyn couldn't help but smile.

---

**As always, please review!  
p.s. still looking for more opinions on the ending! Happy or Unhappy? You decide!**


	10. Present Day

**PRESENT DAY**

"So she was raped?"

Emily Prentiss asked out loud in disbelief, but her voice was filled with a mixture of sympathy and remorse. Doing the job she did, she saw a lot of sexual sadists and torture she didn't think was imaginable, but each time she heard it, the thought still made her nauseous.

Reid nodded and looked at his hands.

"…Did they ever catch him?" Morgan asked as he leaned against the edge of the table in the boardroom.

Reid shook his head as he flipped through some papers in front of him, "No. The case went cold. Vegas is a hot spot for crimes like that, and there weren't any other reported attacks with the same description. The cops couldn't even find any trail on him, it was like he had vanished."

His voice was tinged with a bitterness as Reid remembered that day.

"And when she found out she was pregnant, she didn't want to, um…" Prentiss stammered on her own curiosity as she scratched the side of her head, wondering if it was right to bring up someone else's past. She couldn't help it though, this woman was only a few years her junior and she couldn't imagine if anything like that had happened to her. It wasn't something she wished on anyone, but the fact that she had raised a child on her own was undeniably brave and something Prentiss found a great amount of respect for.

"Nope," Was Reid's short reply before he finally gave up playing with the file folder in his hands and tossed it onto the table. He ran a tired hand through his sandy hair and sighed as the flashbacks came rushing back to him. He remembered waiting in the hospital with Dave, filling out the police reports, holding Katelyn's hand each time she had to do a line up at the station, and being there for her when none of them was the guy who attacked her. He remembered when Katelyn told him she was pregnant and that it was definitely a product of the rape attack because she hadn't been with anyone in a while. And he remembered knowing she was going to keep the baby before she even said it.

Reid shook his head and shrugged, "She has too big of a heart. She's not religious, not even a little bit, but she couldn't have an abortion. Even under the circumstances that Keira was conceived, she said she couldn't blame the baby for what happened to her. She didn't care that she had no money or family to help out, she says all you need is love in the world and everything will be ok," Reid smiled slightly at the thought of remembering her say those exact words. "She can be really stubborn…"

Morgan and Prentiss smiled at the thought and Reid shook his head again as he tidied up the papers beside him. "Um, I'm going to go check on her and make sure she's ok… Can you guys check with Garcia and see if there's anything of whether or not a car was used?"

"No problem kid, and hey," Morgan looked into Reid's eyes as he turned around. "Don't worry Reid, we'll get her back."

Reid nodded and tried to smile before he left the boardroom.

---

"I thought you quit?" Reid asked gently as he stepped outside of the police station and found Katelyn leaning against the exterior wall with a cigarette in her hand. She jumped slightly from his sudden appearance then composed herself before she shrugged a reply.

"It's been two years since I last had one…" She said, but her expression seemed distant as she studied the cigarette between her fingers before inhaling. Spencer slowly walked up to her, hands in his pocket, and cautiously leaned against the wall beside her. She had wiped the smeared mascara from her face in the washroom of the station earlier, but her eyes still remained red and puffy. The smile she attempted at Spencer was a great contrast to the expression on her face. "Do you think this counts as a fall from grace considering the situation at hand?"

Spencer chuckled softly and shook his head, "Nah, you could never fall from grace, Katie… Maybe fall off the wagon, but never from grace…"

She gave him a smile, this time a genuine one, and then flicked the cigarette butt to the ground. "Thanks, Spence…"

He smiled gently at her and she let out a large, shaky sigh. "Spencer, what if… What if she's…?" She couldn't even get the words out before the tears pooled in her eyes and Spencer's heart quickly lurched at the sight. He quickly opened his arms to envelop her in a hug.

"We'll find her Kate," he murmured into her hair in comfort and she squeezed him back tightly. Inside his head, he wondered exactly what would happen if… No, he couldn't let himself get that far. They would find Keira, safe and sound. He continuously repeated the thought in his head, but deep down he thought of the other victims, of what this guy was capable of and the serious time restraint they had if their profile was right. He cared very much for Keira and if something happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself.

As if hearing his thoughts, the door beside them quickly opened and Morgan burst out into the fresh air where his eyes quickly landed on Reid and Katelyn. Reid quickly pulled away from the embrace and his cheeks reddened at what Morgan must have thought at the site, but if he had any suspicions, he didn't make them known.

"They've found something," Morgan advised as he nodded towards the inside of the station. Reid shot a glance at Katelyn, then quickly followed Morgan back to the board room.

---

**A/N: **_**Sorry this chapter is a little short. I forgot to mention, if anyone has any 'flashback' ideas they would like to see, I'd love to hear them and would gladly try to incorporate them. So PM me or review. Actually, review anyways, you know how much I love them! :)**_


	11. Peanut

_**4 Years, 6 months and 2 weeks earlier…**_

"You didn't have to come with me, Spencer. I'm quite capable of making it to the doctor on my own thank you very much, and besides what about school? You're final exam is in less than a month and you know you have to ace it to finalize this job at the BAU crap. You shouldn't be jeopardizing school just to keep poor, lonely Katie company while she goes to the doctor. I mean, come on…"

Spencer Reid rolled his eyes as he and Katelyn walked from the parking lot towards the hospital. She was just entering her fifth month of pregnancy, though she surprisingly barely showed much of a belly at all yet. Some might think she was merely stealing a rolled up t-shirt underneath her sweater, but she continuously threatened those who warned her that the weight would hit her like a bus once it came.

Her hormones were fairly in check, however it wasn't much of a difference from the non-pregnant Katelyn. Always opinionated, didn't hold anything back, and could go from cheerful to angry in 0.49 seconds. So it didn't come as a surprise when Katelyn refused Spencer's request to come with her to her check up. He knew Dave had taken her a couple times and one of her girl friends went with her the others, but he knew she didn't have anyone to accompany her to this one. And seeing as he hadn't been to one yet, he decided he wanted to go with her. Besides, the human body was fascinating.

"Maybe I wanted to come for me," Spencer shot back defensively, but couldn't stop the teasing smile that was at his lips. Even though Katelyn never showed it, he knew she didn't like being alone. And through the hard rock exterior, he also knew she was terrified about this whole ordeal.

She exhaled a breath and eyed him suspiciously, "Uh huh… Well, you're about to be fascinated, potential Doctor Reid. By the way, if you get this PhD, well, WHEN you get it, because we all know you are, smarty pants. Even if you miss a day to take me to the doctor…" She muttered the latter part under her breath, but turned her attention back to him as they walked through the doors of the hospital, "When you get this whole PhD crap, you have to make sure that people call you Dr. Reid. Mr. Reid sounds so stupid and plus, you're really way too young to have a PhD anyways… And you're scrawny and have this adorable little baby face," she paused to pinch his cheek a little, but he swatted her hand away in embarrassment. "Always introduce yourself as Dr. Reid. It's titles like that that will bode for a great first impression and it will also make others take you seriously."

They entered the small waiting room of the obstetrician's office and Katelyn quickly checked in with the front desk before they took a seat.

"And, you know, when you leave and go off to solve crimes and do justice and all that… If anyone ever gives you any trouble about your age, or anything, let me know. I don't care if I'm nine months pregnant and look like a bus, I can still pound their ass. No one better mess with you over there or-" Katelyn began steaming as her eyes sort of glazed over as she stared at the wall across the room.

"Katie," Spencer interrupted in mock horror as he tried to hide the slight fear from his face. "You're getting, um, all fired up again…"

She broke her angry gaze at the wall and relaxed as she turned to him before laughing out loud, "Sorry. The hormones, and…" She sighed out loud and rolled her eyes in exaggeration. "Ok, sometimes I just worry about you leaving and people giving you flack for being so young and stuff."

Spencer smiled and looked at the ground, but before he could conjure up a reply the nurse suddenly called Katelyn's name and he stood up behind her to follow to the room.

"What are you doing?"

Spencer stopped in his tracks and looked up to see Katelyn turned around and looking at him with an almost questionable look on her face. He frowned in confusion, he had assumed his role in taking her to the check up included being with her in the room, but he hadn't really put any thought into it. He stood awkwardly and tried to think of a response that he hadn't been prepared to give,

"I, uh, thought since um… Company and, uh, well I thought you would want," he stammered as he pointed past her to where the nurse had disappeared to. He watched the mocking smile play across her face and she laughed before waving him forward.

"I'm kidding, come on, you can see the ultra sound. Though, I'm not sure if it will look like anything more than a deformed peanut…" Katelyn turned to continue walking and Spencer mentally slapped himself before hurrying behind her.

It was only a quick, routine check up so she didn't need to put on one of those flowy, drafty gowns like last time. She had regretted bringing Dave with her last time, especially when he began cracking comments about the unavoidable movements of the thin gown that had continuously untied.

She felt relief in Spencer wanting to come to this appointment. He became embarrassed much too easily, and as much as Katelyn would have wanted to see his face if he had been at the last appointment, she knew he probably would have rather died. She chuckled suddenly at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Spencer asked suspiciously and looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head. She smiled at him as she climbed on top of the hard hospital bed,

"Nothing. Pull up a chair, it might take a few minutes," she said just as the nurse returned with a tube in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other.

"Well Ms. O'Neil, I see you brought a new friend with you today," the older nurse smiled at the two and Spencer nodded a greeting as he pulled the chair up next to Katelyn who was already stretched out and pulling her shirt up. He looked away and turned his attention to the older nurse as she pulled a small tray over to the bed, along with a small computer sitting on a cart.

"Ok, so we'll check the heart beat first, just to make sure everything is normal and healthy, then we'll check out how baby's growing," the nurse advised as she took a seat and squeezed some of the clear, gooey liquid from the tube onto Katelyn's stomach.

She sucked in a quick breath and the contact and Spencer looked at her in sudden concern, but she only shook her head and laughed,

"That stuff's always cold," she advised and he let out a breath of relief. The nurse pulled on the rubber gloves and grabbed the hand held device before rubbing it into the clear paste on Katelyn's small bump of a stomach.

Spencer made a face at the motion and found himself wondering if the stuff was sticky or more like aloe vera. He hadn't had much time to debate it because suddenly a soft, rhythmic pulse sounded from the computer and his attention quickly perked,

"Is that…?"

"That's the heart beat," the nurse smiled as she answered his question and then paused to listen for a few seconds. An excited smile passed Spencer's face and he looked down at the raven haired girl in front of him.

"Katie! That's the heart beat, it's… Well, it's… It's a living thing inside of you, listen!" He paused and held his hand out while he listened. "Thirty seven and a half beats in fifteen seconds, that's… One hundred and fifty beats per minute. The average heart beat of a fetus at five months is anywhere between 120 and 190 beats per minute. The baby is perfectly on par," Spencer yammered excitedly and looked at the nurse for confirmation.

"Wow, you've done your research. Yes, the baby's heart sounds perfectly healthy," the nurse smiled at them both as she moved the hand held device a little. The muffled rhythm of the baby's heart continued to beat in the background. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

Katelyn was slightly taken off guard at the question. She hadn't had much time to think about what would happen after the baby was born or the unavoidable things like picking out a name. "Uh, actually I haven't really thought of it… I guess for now we'll just call it… Peanut?" She looked to Spencer with a shrug and he laughed, but the rhythmic heartbeat surrounding them suddenly began beating faster and all three of them laughed.

"I think it likes peanut," Spencer said in amazement, "In the 20th week of pregnancy, the baby has developed anatomically enough to receive sound impulses. It could have understood… Katie, maybe you have a genius growing in there!"

Katelyn laughed, "Spencer you amaze me sometimes. I'm starting to think that maybe you should be the one who is pregnant, you sure know about it more than I do… I don't even know if it's a boy or girl yet, and I haven't even thought of the possibility of a real name…"

The nurse clicked her tongue and smiled, "Don't worry dear, you have plenty of time for things like that. But if it will help you, I can tell you the sex of the baby now."

Katelyn's head snapped to the nurse and then the monitor which was now displaying a muddled up picture of what was supposed to be her baby. It still looked like a peanut to her, but she looked at the nurse in a mixture of fear and excitement, then to Spencer who seemed to be mirroring her expression.

"Really?" Katelyn managed to sputter and the nurse nodded with a smile,

"Well, certainly! Some people prefer not to know and like to have the gender a surprise at birth, but others like to know ahead of time for planning and things," the nurse looked at Katelyn as she pressed a button on the computer, which started to print out a snap shot of the ultra sound. "So, would you like to know?"

Katelyn looked at Spencer again with wide eyes before turning to the nurse, "Um, I think so… Yeah, I'd like to know. I want to know if Peanut's a he or a she…"

The nurse smiled and Katelyn's heart began to beat faster and harder in her chest as the nurse wiped off the clear goo from her stomach. Katelyn pulled down her shirt and sat up on the bed while she handed her the snapshot of her ultra sound,

"You're having a girl, Ms. O'Neil. And so far from what I can tell, a very healthy one," her smile widened as she watched Katelyn's shocked expression. "I'll let you two have some time. Take care and I'll see you in a few weeks."

The nurse made her exit and closed the door behind her. Katelyn sat staring at the picture of what she could only tell was a morphed version of a giant peanut and felt the tears begin to sting her eyes.

"Hey," Spencer said softly when he noticed a tear fall down her cheek and he quickly moved from the chair to sit beside her on the bed. "You ok?"

She sniffled and nodded before letting out a small chuckle and wiped at the tear on her cheek. "I'm having a girl Spence. A baby girl."

She smiled through the blurred vision and Spencer couldn't help but smile back at her before putting his arm around her shoulders.

"You sure are. And she's going to be amazing. She'll be just like her mommy," Spencer said as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug. She chuckled softly into the crook of his neck and sniffled again,

"I sure hope not," she laughed and Spencer laughed with her as his grip tightened around her waist. She was going to have a baby girl.

**---**

**A/N: As always, please review. I absolutely love them. Also, if you would please check out my profile page and take a moment to vote on my new poll. Thanks to you all for reading so far! You rock my socks!**

**-A**


	12. Present Break

**A/N: **_Sheesh, sorry guys this chapter is super short. I'm trying to keep the 'Present' broken up in order to fit more flashbacks in, but still feel the need to keep a Present Day ever couple chapters. I'll try to update soon to make up for it!_

_**---**  
_

**PRESENT DAY**

"Ok Garcia, we're all here. Tell us what you have," Hotch advised with a stern expression just as Morgan entered the boardroom followed closely by Reid.

"Well, as you know there weren't any signs of a vehicle or anything easy, as always…" Garcia muttered under her breath, but everyone had heard it through the speakerphone. "But, alas my chickadees, I have been in touch with the forensics department down there and turns out they DID uncover a handful of cigarette butts in the back alley, approximately in the same area where the little boy had seen stalker man lurking."

Morgan caught Reid wince at the words out of the corner of his eye. Garcia wasn't aware that anyone had a personal connection to the case. He made a mental note to tell her later, but right now she was continuing with her news,

"Well, they've came through with DNA from the butts and there were only two hits on them. It's a bit of a long shot, considering the number of people with THAT disgusting habit," Garcia rambled as her fingers fluttered across the keyboard in the background.

Reid winced inwardly again as he remembered Katelyn outside smoking only a few minutes ago.

Morgan elbowed Reid slightly when he caught look of the almost pained expression on his face. Reid gave him a side glance and tried to shake the thoughts from his head as he frowned to listen to Garcia's voice coming from the speakerphone,

"…and entering. He's also got a couple of misdemeanours and one assault charge. The other guy, Derek Barnes, he's got assault and vehicle theft. They both have a pretty minor record, but it was big enough to show on the database."

"Where is their last known address?" Hotch demanded.

More typing was audible from the other line, "Christopher Hayes, 113-10348 Harrison Avenue and Derek Barnes, 69th and West 141st Street. Different directions, but both not too far from the station."

"Thanks Garcia," Hotch said as he turned to the rest of the team.

"Just doing my job, sir. Now go find this sicko," Garcia replied before disconnecting the line.

Hotch quickly scooped up a file folder from the table and looked at the team including the head officer from the station, "Ok, we don't exactly have much to go on with these guys, but the DNA on the cigarettes is enough for me. I don't want to waste any time. Rossi, Prentiss, I want you to go with Detective Archer to the first address. Morgan, Reid and I will go to Derek Barnes'. JJ, can you stay here with Katelyn?"

JJ quickly nodded and took in a deep breath to steady her heart. It always began to pound harder right before the team was about to go out after a potential unsub, and this time she wouldn't even be there to help. But she had trust in her colleagues and knew they would be fine. The only downfall of staying behind, as she had found out while she had been in her last months of pregnancy, was the incessant worrying over their safe return.

JJ looked over at Reid as he gathered his things just as the rest of the team was exiting the small board room. His expression was blank, but almost hard and she suddenly felt a wave of concern over him.

"Reid, you ok?" She asked quietly. She knew Reid was slightly sensitive and didn't like people worrying over him, especially if he was asked in front of a group of people. She relaxed slightly when he glanced out the door, then to JJ as he shrugged,

"This is probably the most personal case I've ever been on… The look on Katie's face… I've known her for almost thirteen years and I've never seen…" He paused to let out a sigh and ran his hands restlessly through his hair.

"Reid, if you wanted to stay back, I'm sure Hotch would understand," JJ replied softly, but he quickly shook his head.

"No. If something happens and I wasn't there to try and…" He looked crestfallen for a moment before shaking his head again. "I can't let anything happen to Keira, JJ. I'd never forgive myself."

"It wouldn't be your fault, you didn't make this guy do what he's doing," she tried to reason, but he seemed to not hear her statement as he turned to face her.

"JJ, can you make sure Katelyn's ok while I'm gone? Maybe try not to talk about, um, the case too much. She gets worked up really easily," Reid frowned to himself as if a memory passed through his mind suddenly.

JJ nodded her head quickly, "Don't worry about us. Just go do your best to get her back, ok?"

Reid nodded slowly and gave JJ's shoulder a small squeeze, "Thanks JJ… I'm just going to say goodbye to her before we head out."

He turned quickly and left the room, leaving JJ feeling concerned and worried about what could possibly happen next. But she also couldn't help the mild curiosity about Reid and his relationship with this mystery woman that had suddenly entered the rest of their lives. She sighed out loud and prepared herself to go find Katelyn. She knew she would have to try and keep her mind off of the possibilities of what could happen as much as her own.

---

**A/N: **_Ok, apologies for such a short chapter, but I felt I had to stop it here. I would also like to take this opportunity to put up another chance for you to vote: Should Spencer have romantic feelings for Katelyn or strictly friendship? I'd love to hear your input. _

_-A_


	13. Birth Day

**A/N: **_Phew! Ok, as promised, next day and another chapter! Hope this one makes up for the last, please make my day and review!_

_---_

**4 Years and 2 Months earlier…**

The bullpen was fairly quiet. The day had been slow, there had been no new cases for them to work on, but everyone had taken the rare opportunity to catch up on much needed paperwork and reports. Elle and Morgan had been ignoring the boring workload for the last twenty minutes as they conversed about some martial arts movie and Garcia was casually leaning against Morgan's desk, having taken a 'short' break on her way back to her computer room.

There were only a couple more hours left in the day and everyone was anxiously waiting for it to come, while equally hoping an urgent case wouldn't come through. Every time JJ would come out of her office, the bullpen would go silent, then sigh in relief as she headed to the washroom or down to the cafeteria. Sometimes they think she would do that, walk out with an armful of papers just to tease them.

No one had really noticed that Reid wasn't at his desk. He was the new guy, only been in the bureau for a few months, but after the initial shock of finding out how young he was, the team had warmed up to him. His intelligence had impressed them all, though he was fairly quiet so far and mostly just blurted out random answers or statistics.

Morgan laughed whole heartedly at something Elle said and Garcia only shook her head at the two. They were unaware of Spencer Reid walking briskly behind them to the stairs that led to a few offices. He knocked urgently on one of the doors and after hearing a reply from inside, he opened the door and burst in.

"Uh, Agent Gideon, I, uh… Well, I was wondering if it would be at all possible to um…" Reid stammered nervously as he stood in front of their team lead. Jason Gideon looked up curiously from the report in front of him from behind the desk and looked at the absurdly young special agent.

"Spencer, please, you don't have to call me Agent Gideon all the time. Jason is fine, or just Gideon if you must," he pulled the reading glasses from his face and set them on top of the pages covering his desk before waving to the chair opposite of him. "Sit down, what's on your mind?"

Reid shook his head gently and held his hand up, declining the invitation, "Well, uh… Gideon, you see, I was wondering, since it's a quiet day, well actually it's been a pretty quiet week, and I know I've only been here for a few months, but uh… Would it be possible for me to take a few personal days? I promise, it will only be two, and well, the rest of today if that's ok… I won't if you don't want me to, if you need me, but if it's possible I'd really appreciate it."

Gideon couldn't help the small smile that splayed across his lips, but turned in concern to his agent, "Is everything alright, Spencer?"

He nodded quickly, then followed with a shrug, "I just need to go back to Vegas… Something kind of came up and it's kind of urgent so…"

Gideon raised an eyebrow, "Nothing bad?"

A smile came to Reid's face as he thought about it and even let out a brief laugh, "Um, no, nothing bad," he chuckled again as the light seemed to glimmer in his eyes. "Well, my friend she's um, well she just went into labour and I kind of wanted to be there. Well, I mean, that's why I took the week of the 24th off, she wasn't due for another two weeks, but I just got the call…" He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and held it up as if it was proof, "And if you let me take these days off, I won't need the week of the 24th. It's just kind of nature's schedule right? Did you know that when a woman first goes into labour, it can take anywhere from five to forty five hours for the baby to appear?"

Gideon chuckled to himself and looked at his watch casually, "Well, then, if it's possible your friend could be having a baby in five hours, you'd better get out of here. Come back after the weekend."

Reid frowned a little, _that was easy_. He expected to have to offer his kidney or promise hours of overtime to get a couple days off. It didn't seem like something people could do so easily in the bureau, especially on such short notice, and definitely since he was still in his probation period. And for his supervisor to give him the weekend too, well that was unusual.

"R-really? You're ok with it?" He questioned to be sure, but Gideon's smiling face told him he was.

Gideon picked up his glasses and put them back on before his attention veered back to the reports in front of him, the smile still evident on his face.

"Thank you, sir, I really appreciate this," Reid said sincerely, but Gideon looked up at him through the tops of his glasses before turning his gaze back down to the typed pages.

"Don't ever call me sir, like I said, Gideon is fine," he replied and waved his hand, motioning towards the door. "You'd better get going, you're in for a hellish next few hours. Give your friend my congratulations and we'll see you when you get back."

Reid nodded and made his way to the door, but paused just as his hand reached for the door handle, "Thanks Gideon, but um, do you think you can keep this from the others? I don't want them to think I'm getting special treatment or something…"

"Your secret's safe with me," Gideon replied without looking up from his desk. Reid smiled and quickly exited his office before practically jogging to his desk where he picked up his messenger bag and shut down his computer.

"Hey, where you going kid?" Morgan asked from his desk which was opposite of Reid's. Elle and Garcia looked up as well and Reid frowned as he tried to think of a reply.

"Uh, something came up, I'll see you guys on Monday," he said in a rush as he pulled the messenger bag over his head and waved before disappearing towards the elevators.

Morgan let out a puff of air and turned towards the other two, "Monday? It's only Wednesday! How come the kid gets two days off, he's only been here for like a week!"

Garcia slapped him on the shoulder, "He's been here for almost five months," she corrected him, but Morgan only smiled up at her as he rubbed the sting from his shoulder.

"Sheesh, pretty mama, you sure got some force in you for being a petite little blonde," he retorted and mocked a pained expression. Elle only laughed and shook her head at the two, wondering what would come from their bantering friendship they'd seemed to fallen into. Garcia pretended to glare at him, but smiled inwardly at the fact he'd just called her petite.

---

"Ok, now, Ms. O'Neil, I'm going to ask you just to breathe, ok? Remember what they taught you in Lamaze class, alright?" The elderly nurse coached as she began puffing in example, but Katelyn only looked at her like she was crazy.

"I didn't go to Lamaze, you crazy-" her unintelligible words were cut short as another contraction surged through her and made her clench her mouth shut in pain. A short scream came out, this contraction was definitely the worst so far.

"My god, is she ok??" Dave's concerned and frightened voice spoke over his friend's screams of pain. He had been on the other side of the hospital room, filling a glass of water for Katelyn, and now he was almost glad because he didn't want to be the punching bag standing next to her at that moment.

The nurse laughed as she fluffed Katelyn's pillow, seemingly oblivious to the woman's discomfort in front of her, "She'll be fine dear, I work around this day after day and she's doing great so far."

"Doesn't look like it…" Dave muttered under his breath and moved his large, looming body across the room, back to his friend.

"I HEARD THAT, DAVE," Katelyn shouted at him as the contraction subsided and she gratefully accepted the glass of water, nearly ripping it from his hands.

"Hey guys, I'm back," Spencer Reid suddenly entered the hospital room with a cup of coffee in hand and a bucket of ice in the other for Katelyn. He had arrived nearly eight hours ago and Katelyn was still in labour, much to everyone's dismay. If anyone had thought she was abrasive before had never seen her pregnant, that was for sure.

"Spencer! How many times do you have to go to the washroom, I swear to god, the next time you leave I'm going to pop this baby out and you're going to miss it. You're going to miss the whole damn thing, THAT will be your punishment!" Katelyn nearly screamed and Spencer tried to smile at her as he shuffled quickly to Dave who was playing with the flowers one of them had brought on the other side of the room.

"Sheesh, that doesn't sound like a bad idea actually," Reid muttered as he set the ice down next to the flowers and Dave laughed loudly, the sound nearly booming in the room.

"Spencer, I've missed ya! Man, I haven't seen you in a while!" Dave said for the third time since he'd been there and pat him on the back.

Spencer struggled to steady himself from the blow, but smiled up at him, "Yeah, that's because you were in what, Europe the last time I was out here? That's all your fault…" He glared playfully just as another scream filled the room and a feared expression passed both of their faces as they turned to their friend.

"Ok, looks like we're ready to start pushing!" The doctor cheerfully said after giving her a quick check. He situated himself between her legs as the elderly nurse went to Katelyn's side and grabbed her hand, ready to coach her.

"You shitheads over there, you'd better not be looking down there or I swear, I don't even care if this baby is hanging out of me, I'll walk right over there and clunk your heads together until-" Katelyn's words were cut short again as a wave of fresh pain washed over her and the nurse suddenly shouted at her to start pushing.

Spencer and Dave, quickly frightened by both her words and the rush of screams, darted to the side of the bed, opposite of the nurse.

"Um, Ms. O'Neil, you need to not squeeze my hand so hard, ok? I don't need to go see the doctor after this for any broken bones," the nurse laughed, but the pain was visible on her face as Katelyn pushed again, clenching the poor lady's hand as she did so.

"Shit, I'm glad I'm not on that end of the stick," Dave muttered and Spencer laughed nervously beside him.

"God, you two, what are you doing?! Get over here," Katelyn shouted at them through clenched teeth as she motioned towards them with her free arm. Spencer gulped and Dave winced as they looked at each other, Katelyn still reaching her hand out towards them.

"I, uh, guess we're already on that end of the stick, huh..?" Spencer said before they moved to Katelyn's side so she could hold onto the both of them.


End file.
